00:00This video of Ruchika Singh at the protest has landed her in trouble.
00:03She's been criticized for not just what she said, but for the language she used.
00:19Here's the thing.
00:20These were supporters of a political movement whose very identity emerged from an insult.
00:24Its name itself was reclaimed from a slur aimed at Gen Z.
00:27From the slogans to the memes, profanity wasn't accidental.
00:31It became part of the movement's vocabulary.
00:33There's also Shraddha Singh, whose video allegedly showed her mocking RAF personnel during the CGP protest.
00:39And now she's apologized, saying she was not mocking them.
00:47What does the sudden embrace of profanity tell us about a new generation of protesters?
00:52For decades, abusive language, especially among men, has been part of everyday speech,
00:56often carrying masculine, sexist, and misogynistic undertones.
01:00But scholars argue it serves purposes beyond simply insulting someone.
01:04In Souls of the Kalyuk, sociologist Shankar Ramaswamy, writing about factory workers in Delhi's
01:09Okla industrial area, argues that joking and abusive banter helped workers cope with exhausting labor.
01:15The language wasn't new.
01:16The people using it and the political setting, that was.
01:19Unlike older ideological student movements, this protest was held together by a shared political mood
01:25and a shared language, including profanity and memes.
01:28Every generation invents its own vocabulary.
01:31Gen Z's is shaped by internet culture.
01:33Ironic, meme-driven, sarcastic, and often unapologetically profane.
01:37Their placards, slogans, and reels reflected that.
01:40Scholars studying Hong Kong's anti-extradition protest found that profanity served three purposes.
01:45It channeled anger without physical violence, strengthened group identity by creating an in-group
01:50language, and amplified emotion helping mobilize more people.
01:54But not everyone sees it that way.
01:56Critics say abusive slogans weaken democratic debate.
01:59Supporters argue that when institutions stop listening, breaking linguistic norms becomes
02:04another form of protest.
02:05The law has also evolved.
02:07In 2026, Supreme Court ruled that mere swear words or vulgar expletives do not amount to
02:12obscenity.
02:13For speech to be legally obscene, the court said, it must be sexually explicit.
02:17Simply being rude or offensive isn't enough.
02:19Which brings us back to Ruchika Singh.
02:22Her video has reignited a larger debate, not just about one protester or one slogan, but
02:27about whether Gen Z is rewriting the language of political protest.
02:30What do you think?
02:31Let us know in the comments below.
02:33Long.
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